Humble Beginnings
by Pythian
Summary: Here we meet Alan Schezar, before his infamous pirate days. Chapter 8: Questioning and the Legion puts their experience to the test.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own Starcraft or any characters relating to Starcraft. That would be Blizzard's job.

Humble beginnings

It was the time of the Confederacy. The Terran worlds were under a stable government, with a strong network of enforcement organizations. Lieutenant Alan Schezar was proud to be a part of it.

Schezar was a part of Alpha Squadron, one of the most widely recognized Confederate Legions. But just because they were in the army didn't mean that they had to be fighting all the time. This was one of those times.

At the time, Schezar was sitting in his office, studying recent battle plans and figuring out how to best delpoy the troops. However, his mind was drifting.

_Six months..._ he thought to himself. _Six months of being here, and when the old captain gets killed, they promote that other guy instead of me. He claims he has connections...I'll show him connections._

"Lieutenant!" a voice outside the office yelled. "Cap'n wants to talk to you!"

_Stupid private_, the Lieutenant thought. He was just about ready to bag the whole "Alpha Squadron" thing. For staying alive for so long while seeing those around him fight and die, he sure wasn't getting the respect he wanted. "What's he want?" he asked moodily.

"He wants to see the results of your battle plans, he claims," the private answered. "Are you...coming?"

"Tell him I'll be there soon," Schezar assured the private, who then went off to tell the Captain the news. The lieutenant, however, had other "battle plans." Reaching into his desk, he withdrew a small silenced pistol and pocketed it. After that, he pulled up the security on his computer and hacked his way into turning off the cameras in the captain's room. After this was done, Schezar got up and walked to the Captain's room.

Schezar strode into the office, and was instantly met by a hard stare by the other. Alan beamed a quick smile but neglected to sit down.

The captain had his hands folded on his desk. "I asked you to work on the battle strategy. Did you finish it?"

_Finish? I didn't even start it_, Schezar thought to himself. Out loud, he said, "Yeah, I started it. Thing is, why should I show it to you?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. How long have you been in Alpha Squadron?"

The captain strained to think for a moment. "I was on the front lines not too long ago...I'd say about 2 years."

"Shorter than me," Alan said, growing steadily angrier. "Tell you what...how 'bout we make a deal?" Then, with quick-as-lighting speed, he had the pistol in his hand.

Outside the office, not a sound could be hear--just a small thump as the captain slumped to his desk. Knowing it wouldn't be long until someone figured out what happened, Schezar rushed into the Goliath bay and, after spotting his own, revved it up and stomped out of the hangar.

"Where are you going?" the officer on duty called.

"I just received a quick call from someone," Schezar lied. "I've gotta get somewhere in a few towns over."

The officer on duty nodded, and Schezar moved past. His destination was the spaceport--he would figure out where to go from there.


	2. Deal With the Devil

Part Two

_Ah...the spaceport._ As Schezar and his goliath stomped up to the massive complex, he was still unsure of what to do. He was far away from the Confederate base by now, and at the city port, he knew that any Confederate trouble that was thrown his way could be dealt with easily.

However, his biggest problem wasn't getting away from the Confeds...the problem was getting off the planet. A plan had formulated in his mind, but he didn't have the resources or numbers to do what his plan required.

He took a spot outside the doorway and hopped out of the mech. Taking a look inside the massive building, he saw that there were plenty of rides. What mattered was which one he took.

He started towards a nice looking shuttle when a hand on his shoulder stopped him and twirled him around to face him. He was met by a man wearing a ghost trooper's equipment, but he lacked the Confederate insignia that would have made him a threat.

"You," the ghost said, "are you Alan Schezar?"

Without thinking, he answered. "Yeah."

The ghost nodded. "My name is Samir Duran. The Confeds are chasing you, but I'm not here to warn you about that. I would like to make you an offer."

"What kind of offer?"

"I, like you, have been abandoned by the Confederacy. However, my men and I already have an operation in place. Many of them have considered turning pirate, and they need someone with good knowledge of how the Confeds work in order to be as effective as possible...and you're their best bet."

"You want me to turn pirate and strike the Confederacy?"

"Only if you want to. I wouldn't be--"

"I'll accept it." Alan looked behind him to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "What do you need me to do?"

"I have recently visited Auir," Duran started, "and have discovered an interesting variety of crystal that allows ghost troopers to psionically control a zerg cerebrate. Unfortunately, the cerebrate's forces need to be routed so the ghosts can get close enough. This is where you come in. I want you to take command of a hundred or so soldiers and do what you can."

"I see." Alan nodded his head once. "And while this happens, you'll be doing what?"

"I'll be waiting to make my move," Duran said with a small smile. "Come--I'll take you to HQ so you can meet your colleagues."

As Duran led Schezar towards a lightly armed shuttle, a grin slowly crept across Alan's face. If _he_ had control of an entire zerg brood, his strength would be undeniable. The Confederacy would be his first victim. And all of those that had used him--like Duran--would be next.

It might not have been how he wanted, but power was finally coming his way.

* * *

"Welcome to Braxis IV," Duran said as the shuttle descended into the atmosphere. "As you can probably guess by the name, this is the fourth moon of Braxis. Here we've set up a resistance organization, with some people barely known yet higly qualified, like you, or others who all know, and are the perfect asset to our little resistance."

Alan nodded obligingly to the added information--he didn't really care. He wanted to get started.

_I've waited too long to take things in my own hands_, he thought to himself. _Finally things are going to change around here._

The shuttle hit the ground, the hatch opened and the two men walked out. Not too far away, a half-buried-in-snow complex was up ahead, and Duran beckoned Schzar to it. At the door, he placed his hand onto a fingerprint screen, and the door creaked open.

Duran and Schezar slowly crept forward, and after a few twists and turns, they walked into a meeting hall, where a few people were lounging around, sharing stories or a smoke with each other.

Duran walked off into the distance to talk with someone, but Schezar recognized one person in particular. He walked up to the man and spoke his name.

"Arcturus Mengsk." It was more like an accusation than a simple identifier. "I'm surprised that someone as esteemed as you would be here."

"Quite the contrary, Mr...?"

"Schezar."

"Mr. Schezar. Would it surprise you to learn that many of my resources and allies have been through Duran?"

The ex-Confederate blinked in response. "You're saying that the avenger of Korhal is using someone else's bank account?"

Mengsk smiled. "I am here because Duran finds my assistance invaluable, not because I need his money. We both gain from our alliance."

Before Alan could make a response to that, a large group of people walked into the room and sat down at the table. Duran was among them, and he sat at the head of the table.

"I have brought all of you here, at this time, to tell you that the time is now. All of you who have had plans, I suggest you commence now. Those of you who are prepared to take down the zerg cerebrate, I would like you to meet in the briefing room, where General Gage will tell you what to do. And Mengsk?"

Arcturus looked up. "Is it time...?"

"Indeed. You can now commence your plans. All of you."

The people dispersed, please that such a short meeting was held. As the crowd grew thinner and thinner, Duran made his way to the computer and pulled up a communicater. After setting the correct channel, he spoke into it.

"The Confederacy will be dealing with all of the others, sir. We should get going on our own plans."

"Good," another voice spoke. "Meet me at the rendevous point, and I'll show you our first specimen."

"Very well, sir." Duran shut off the radio and sat back. Indeed, everything was working out, and by the time the Confeds knew of their plan, it would be too late...for everyone.

  


If you don't know what I'm talking about, play the secret level in Starcraft (beat the second to last Zerg Brood War mission with 5+ minutes to spare to unlock it). The story will hurtle between this and Schezar's own plans.

**Next Chapter**: Schezar meets his colleagues in his mission, and plans out the attack and his own schemes. Mengsk begins his campaign and Duran quietly meets with his superiors.


	3. The Point of no Return

**Disclaimer**: I'd like people to know that I own Mike Dekyron and John McGregor, both of whom will be playing a large role later in this story.  


Part Three: The Point of no Return

"I welcome all of you to this little meeting," General Gage (A/N: In real life he was a British General...I couldn't come up with any names :P) greeted the large amount of people in front of him. "You have all gathered here because you've shown great interest in gaining control of a Zerg Cerebrate."

Currently, Schezar was attending a mission briefing that was related to the inevitable assault that would hopefully result in the control of a Cerebrate..._My cerebrate_, Schezar thought grimly.

The general pulled up a picture on the screen. "This here is a picture of the Zerg Cerebrate Mafton. He has been made manifest on the planet of Yhrad, about two lightyears away. Fortunately for us we've been equipped with faster-than-light engines that will get you there in about three days."

The picture on the screen changed to a bird's eye view of the area. The Cerebrate was on top of a mesa that touched water on one side. Schezar and the others could see the organic, anti-air Spore Colony towers defending that side, as well as a well-organized ground defense system. The soldiers could also see a variety of Zerg behemoths that had scattered the area. This indeed was going to be tough, unless...

"The primary plan is to hit the ground defense with our tactical nukes, hard. After that is done, we'll have you tank drivers come in and nail the other structures, while the marines and goliaths deal with the remaining critters. I want the ghost troopers to come to these two spots--" the general motioned to two locations nearby the cerebrate--"with the Khalis crystals that Duran has plundered from the Protoss temples. You guys will make psionic impants of yourselves onto its psyche, where then we shall gain control of it."

Alan crossed his arms impatiently, silently hoping that the briefing would be over soon. But the general still had more to say. 

"I'll be overseeing the operation aboard the _Flyswatter_, one of our battlecruisers. Mike Dekyron will be in charge of the seige tanks--" a man of about 23 years lounging in the back waved his hand-- "Alan Schezar will be leading the Goliaths and other infantry, and John McGregor and his ghost squadron will take control of the Cerbrate." McGregor, who was leaning on his sniper rifle to the side, nodded his head to the group.

"I believe that is all you need to know. We'll meet outside in the hangar at about 1700 hours. I'll see you all there."

As the meeting dispersed, Alan got up and walked over to Dekyron, who was joking about something with a few buddies. He turned to acknoweldge the Goliath pilot.

"Hello Alan," he said, shaking Schezar's hand and wearing a smile. "Seems like you and me got stuck doin' the dirty work." 

Schezar smirked at this. "It's been a while since I've been on the front lines in a battle against aliens. Last I can remeber was a little skirmish with a Zerg recon party on one of the Sara planets." 

"Yeah, well, I can't say that I'm not looking forward to kickin' the Zergs' butts." 

Alan chuckled weakly as the two made their way out of the room. But his light tone suddenly got overshadowed by a more serious one. "Listen, to you want to cash in big on this?" 

"What do you mean?" the tank driver asked. 

"Here's what I mean," Schezar said. "I've been waiting for a long time for a lotta power, and all we've gotta do is take over this little battle party. We overthrow Gage and take the Cerebrate for ourselves. There is _no_ way Duran is going to profit off of our hard work." 

"You're serious about this, huh?" Dekyron said with a chuckle. "Well, you're in luck, 'cuz McGregor's a good buddy of mine, so he and his squadron will cooperate. After the battle, we'll deal with Gage, and then nurse the Brood back to its rightful stature." 

"But we'll be the ones in control," Schezar said with a hint of glee. "Well, must get to work--we've got a little bit of pre-battle prep to work on.

* * *

Aboard the _Hyperion_, the Sons of Korhal flagship, Mengsk sat at the command chair, thorougly in control of the situation. He had recently discovered a Confederate complex called the Jacob's Installation that supposedly had war-machine blueprints that could be extremely useful in his situation. He, however, had had a problem beforehand, as it was obviously a heavy-guarded installation. 

But then the Zerg had struck Mar Sara, which had the Confederates running away. The only resistance had come in the form of a colonial militia that lacked the numbers, resources, and technology to properly hold off the Zerg. 

Mengsk was sitting at his console when one of the technichians spokee up. "Sir, we're recieving a mission from a man who identifies himself as the Commander of the Militia forces. His base is under heavy attack and requires evac, but the Confederacy isn't responding to their calls for help." 

_Indeed?_ Mengsk wondered. He prided himself in having allies, and if the militia were being abandoned by the Confeds, then he would have all the more reason to let them join his glorious cause. 

"Is that all they need?" he asked out loud. 

"It appears so, sir...wait, sir, they claim to have lost a few of their men after they were captured by General Duke of Alpha Squadron." 

"Oh really," Mengsk said, planning out something. "So if we do them a favor, such as bust their comrades out of prison, they'll do us a favor, logic would say? Tell the commander we'll send help and break his men out of jail, but then his men will have to make it up to us." 

"Yessir," the tech said, responding to the commander shortly thereafter. 

Mengsk smiled at the recent turn of events. Not to say that he didn't have enough men, but Arcturus really didn't want to expend good, experienced men on the Jacobs Installation...and the colonial forces would be the perfect solution. With the Zerg driving the Confederacy into a panic, hopefully the complex would be lightly armed and easy to infiltrate, where the militia would get in and get out with the plans. 

Everything was too easy for him...oppurtunity just jumped whenever he needed it. 

* * *

"I see that the hybrid is going to be as effective as we thought," Duran spoke to the figure in front of him. "Which begs the question--how are we going to keep them hidden 'til the correct time?" 

"We won't," the other said. "Your job will be simple--I want you to distract the most influential forces in this galaxy to keep their noses out of our business. I'll scatter the remaining specimens, so it will be impossible to find them all before it's too late. My species will finally return to greatness." 

"Yes, my liege," Duran agreed as he bowed his head and slowly walked away. "You can expect me to do my job."

  


(A/N: If you don't know who the character that Duran is speaking to, then it's ok. You're not supposed to. I'll give you a hint and tell you that it's not human, Zerg, or Protoss.) 

**Next Chapter**: As Schezar and the others attack the Cerebrate, Mengsk discovers something greater than he ever expected. I have plans as to what I'll be doing, but because they're vague as of now, you guys can tell me what you'll want to see and I'll try to incorporate it into my ideas. 


	4. When Worlds Collide

Part Four: When Worlds Collide  
  
"We're coming out of warp space at this time," a voice buzzed in Schezar's ear. "Dropships are waiting in Hangar Four. Please return to your assigned positions."  
  
The ex-Confed was aboard a battlecruiser named the White Lance. He knew where to go; yet he was in no rush to get things started. Instead, he turned his communicator to a private channel.  
  
"Mike, do you read me?"  
  
"Loud and clear," was the answer. "Alan, I'm assuming."  
  
"Yea," Schezar answered. "Have you talked with that ghost?"  
  
"He's more or less agreed," the tank driver responded. "He ain't pleased with it, but a few bribes can change anyone's opinion."  
  
Alan didn't bother to ask Mike what he had done. Instead, he ignored him completely.  
  
At that point, Schezar had reached the Hangar bay. He spotted his newly modified Goliath nearby a dropship with the identification unit being B- 7645. He boarded his Goliath and made his way into the shuttle. A few tanks, Goliaths, and other machinery pieces were already aboard the ship, but he ignored the other pilots/drivers.  
  
Four minutes later, he was outside the dropship, on Yhrad's surface. He immediately was reminded of Mar Sara before it was destroyed by the Protoss.  
  
Damn Protoss, he thought to himself. No good comes out of aliens. Every alien species is nothin' but trouble. He looked to his right where a few SCVs were hurriedly constructing a Command Center so that the higher- ranking officials could survey the battle from there. Fortunately for them, they had found a few nearby mineral patches that could be used for constructing bunkers in case of an attack. Though attacks weren't anticipated, it was impossible to guess exactly what would happen.  
  
His role in the attack was a rather large one. Schezar had been given command of infantry ground units, except the ghosts, but his plan was already laid out. He and a few others would cover the tanks while the rest of the marines and Goliaths destroyed the greater amount of the standing forces. If there were any after the nukes dropped.  
  
His communicator buzzed and he opened up the channel. "Hello?"  
  
"Greetings, Lieutenant Schezar. This is General Gage. Prepare all of your troops for attack. We will commence shortly."  
  
"As ordered," Schezar responded.  
  
~  
  
Aboard the Hyperion, Mengsk was planning how his campaign to overthrown the Confederacy would work when one of the technicians informed him of an incoming transmission.  
  
Mengsk moved over to his communications device and turned it on. "This is Mengsk."  
  
"Jim Raynor," the answer was. "You guys had bailed me out, then you asked if my crew and I could infiltrate the Jacobs Installation. We did that, and we downloaded some of the weapons schematics. Seems like most of this stuff is just gonna be basic improvements to guns and armor, but there is a very interesting device here that is called the Psi Emitter."  
  
"Psi Emitter.?" Mengsk was thoroughly puzzled. He asked one of the technicians to show him the downloaded schematics and was obliged. "I see. Quite a small package."  
  
"We've been analyzing the data and it seems to direct Zerg activity. If it's activated by the right people, then it attracts all Zerg minions within 100,000 klicks to its locations, or something like that."  
  
Mengsk raised his eyebrows. Quite the impressive piece. "Thank you, Captain Raynor. I'll talk to you in person later."  
  
As he shut off the channel, Mengsk felt a smile creep over his features. Attracts all Zerg units, eh? Why fight a long, bloody battle when the Zerg could do it for you?  
  
~  
  
"Nuclear missiles have been launched, repeat: Nuclear missiles have been launched!"  
  
Alan, who was quite relaxed within his Goliath, suddenly jerked upwards. Once the nukes hit, the attack would commence.  
  
Ten seconds of silence were followed by a blinding flash of light and a loud rumble. The plateau in the distance was now the site of a very large mushroom cloud.  
  
"All units, approach the Zerg territory. Outer structures and units have been left untouched! Move in!"  
  
Schezar, who was at the front of an assembled force of Goliaths, marched forward and motioned for the others to do the same.  
  
Up in the distance, he could see the siege tanks unfolding themselves into siege mode, bracing themselves to the ground because of the overpowering recoil. Volleys of cannon fire tore apart the structures and minions. That was when the ground beneath the tanks seemingly opened up.  
  
The tanks had apparently parked themselves on top of a large burrowed force of cracklings. The tanks, unable to fire on targets that attacked so close, were helpless.  
  
Enter the infantry.  
  
Schezar and his force made their ways over and tore apart the cracklings under a heavy wave of rifle and machine gun fire. The lings popped like wet bags.  
  
In the next volley of tank fire, a group of Mutalisks were suddenly awakened. Setting the tanks goliaths as their targets, they descended down upon them, firing their symbiotic weapon. The wurm attack melted and burnt through circuits, and a few goliaths toppled over. But similar to the structures, the Mutas fell underneath volleys of missile fire, quickly leaving no other standing forces at the Cerebrate.  
  
There was a buzz on Schezar's communicator, and he opened up the channel. "Yeah?"  
  
"This is Gage. Order your men to hold their fire. McGregor and his Ghost force are making their way over. We've swept the entire area with our comsat station, and no Zerg forces remain. Your mission has been accomplished."  
  
"Orders received, we're moving out." Schezar relayed the orders to his men and the tanks pulled out of the area as well and headed back to base.  
  
~  
  
It was later that night, and the men and women were back at the mobile base, celebrating their recent victory. With the Cerebrate captured, they could nurse the Brood back to its full fighting capacity and unleash it whenever necessary.  
  
Schezar and Dekyron were lounging around, waiting for McGregor to return. Usurping command over Gage would not be difficult-despite Gage's military mind, he did not seem to be the type of person who was very good at defending himself.  
  
"So what are we gonna do with the Brood after we capture it?" Dekyron asked Schezar. "I know you've got plans-what are they?"  
  
Alan looked over at the tank driver. "I've got my ideas. But I've been wondering.what are you going to do with it? Do you have any ambitions?"  
  
Mike snickered. "Plenty. You know, most people who came on this mission are here because the Confederacy screwed them somehow. You for example. How long were you waiting for a promotion to.was it captain?"  
  
"Far too long." Alan gave a fake smile as Gage walked by. In anticipation, Alan reached into his pocket and absentmindedly checked his silenced pistols for bullets.  
  
"When the hell is this McGregor character going to get here, anyways?" Schezar half-growled at Mike.  
  
"Speak of the devil," Dekyron sighed as a younger man made his way over to the two and sat down.  
  
"Mike." McGregor nodded to the artillery master. "And I'm assuming that you're Alan."  
  
"You're assuming correctly."  
  
McGregor smirked. "I'm sure you can guess that that was no assumption. Being a ghost.I don't have a choice but to know that sort of thing."  
  
"You know, it's kinda funny," Alan said. "People would give anything to be telepathic-and yet the people who are would love to renounce it."  
  
The ghost nodded. "I know only too well."  
  
The three sighed and sat back. "When are we gonna do this thing?" Dekyron asked.  
  
"Whenever," Schezar said with a sigh. "I'll do it. I've gotta report to Gage anyways."  
  
"Good luck."  
  
~  
  
Knock knock.  
  
Gage looked up from his desk and up to the door. "Come in."  
  
The door opened wide to admit Schezar, the infantry commander. Now why was he here? Oh yes, I asked him to report.  
  
"Well, Alan, sit down," the general said, and he waved his hand to the empty seat. The goliath pilot proceeded to do just that. "Well, that was quite the show you and your men put on out there."  
  
"Indeed it was," the other replied. "It was mostly Dekyron and his forces that hit the hive cluster the hardest."  
  
Gage smiled. I never thought of Schezar as the kind to avoid credit when it was due. "Your role out there was an important one. Uncovered siege tanks can never pull off a full attack without some backup. Your role at the beginning was mostly to support the tanks. You knew that beforehand."  
  
Alan sighed. That much was true. "Many of those under my command were confederate, trained, interestingly.I always find it funny how many have been betrayed. It's amazing that the Confederacy has managed to stay in charge all this time."  
  
The general nodded. "You'll find that to be true with most governments."  
  
"Or leaders in general," Schezar said ominously. Alan reached into his pocket and pulled out something.  
  
This time, the only sound outside the office was that of a small struggle, then a person slumping onto the desk. Schezar walked confidently out of the office and made his way back to his peers.  
  
"Gage is neutralized," Schezar said and slumped back to chair. "They won't have a clue how it happened."  
  
"Why, did you throw the silenced pistol somewhere else?" Dekyron asked.  
  
"I didn't even use it," Schezar smirked. "I used a Hydralisk spine that I had found lodged in my Goliath to stab him. They'll think that a Zerg killed him."  
  
McGregor smiled. "Quite resourceful."  
  
"Quite," Dekyron echoed.  
  
"Mafton's brood has already started my mission for revenge.and they haven't even started the revival process."  
  
Schezar leaned back, thinking. This was going to be quite the success.  
  
Sorry for the lack of updates. I just haven't gotten the time to do this and I wasn't entirely sure how this chapter would go. Next chapter: things start to get interesting. Mengsk overthrows the Confederacy, and Schezar finds a new ally. 


	5. The Plot Thickens

The Plot Thickens (Dramatic Music!!!) 

Just a general note to icancook. You're really not supposed to _like_ the characters. Really. Schezar is a bastard. I'll be the first to admit it. But that's on purpose. I like evil people. Anyways back to the story...in this chapter, Mengsk wins but certain Confederate branches aren't too happy. Secret agendas aplenty! Don't any of you worry. 

* * *

Aboard the _Hyperion_, the Sons of Korhal flagship, Mengsk sat in the command chair, thinking. _Am I a moral man?_ he asked himself. _Not in my eyes, but the bystander's eyes. People know of the Confederacy's shortcomings. But is this perhaps too cowardly of a method?_

"Cowardly, shmowardly," his father would have responded. After all, Korhal had been destroyed by the Confederate nukes. How moral was that? 

His mind made, he keyed his communicator. "Kerrigan, activate the Psi Emitter." 

There was a shaky response. "Sir...are you sure about this?" 

Mensgk sat, a smile creeping across his features. "Absolutely. You have your orders. Carry them out!" 

"Yes, sir," the ghost answered, and the communicator was shut off on the other end. Mengsk stood up. 

"Helms! Pull up a general scan of the area. I want to see how well this Psi Emitter works." 

"As ordered, sir." The helmsman hit a few keys. "Sir, I've pulled off a radar scan from a nearby Confederate satellite. I'm modifying it slightly--Zerg minions will be green on the screen sir." 

Mengsk turned, expecting the equivalent to a scout force on some backwater planet. He was pleasantly surprised. 

His eyebrows went up as he saw what could only be described as a green carpet descend towards the planet. "Helms. How did they get here so quickly!??" 

"Searching for possible sources, sir." The helmsman and nearby technicians looked hurriedly for what could possibly do such a phenomenon. "Sir! They appear to have opened up a wormhole. For all we know, these creatures could have been on the other side of the galaxy!" 

_Wow_, Mensgk thought. _The ability to overrun entire planets, and to travel almost instantaneously._ The sheer possibilities overwhelmed him. _There must be a practical way to control these creatures...Gage's pitiful crusade will net him nothing, and the Psi Emitters, while powerful, give me very loose control._ Megnsk stared out at the cosmos. _Damn you, Zerg, someday, you will be mine!_

~ 

The "unfortunate" death of General Gage meant that control of the Yhrad outpost would be relinquished to commanders of the various branches, Schezar, Dekyron, and McGregor. While most of the soldiers were on alert, that Mafton and his brood hadn't been tamed, Schezar, who had more or less taken control of the entire operation, assured the subordinates that no more harm would come. 

_At least not to them_, Schezar thought bitterly. With McGregor and his men controlling the Cerebrate, the entire Brood could be carefully monitered. 

Every member of the outpost was equipped with some sort of anti-psionic beacon. While McGregor had been controlling the Cerebrate, he discovered that the Zerg were attracted to psionic presences. When the soldiers were equipped with the beacon, that one of McGregor's men had designed and produced during a non-productive day, it was the same as not being there at all, so the Zerg were unable to percieve them from being enemies; the Zerg couldn't even sense that they were there. 

Schezar had a plan formulating in his mind when his communicator buzzed. Slightly annoyed, he answered. "This is Alan." 

"Hey Alan, this is Mike. We're receiving word via deep-space transmission that the Confederacy was otherthrown. Arcturus Mengsk has taken over the capital with Zerg minions, originally members of Baelrog Brood, based on their strategy and support teams." The artillery master paused for a second. "Sir?" 

Schezar was feeling a deep anger grow within him. "How is Mafton's Brood faring?" 

"The Hive Cluster is up and running. Basic units have been reappearing--the surviving Overlords are apparently transmitting from memory DNA to revive the Zergling and Hydralisk race." 

"Zerglings, you say?" 

"Oh boy. What are you planning?" 

Alan wracked his brains for a few seconds to explain it without entirely giving away his intentions. "When we originally attacked, we weren't up against _Zerglings_. Mafton had the lings evolved to Cracklings. I'm assuming you know what those are." 

"Yeah. Fully evolved, very dangerous. I don't expect that the Hive Cluster will regain its former full strength for another month or so." There was a pause. "The Crackers will make their appearance during the later stage of that time." 

Alan paused. He knew it sounded stupid, but he wanted the Cracklings. He had seen Zerglings rush towards masses of soldiers and before they even got close enough they were torn apart. But he had also seen Cracklings at work on Mar Sara. Deadly. He saw them tear apart half his Goliath Squadron, but only outnumbered them a measly two to one. But if the Confederacy wasn't around, there was only one other potential person to use the unrestrained zeal of a pack of Cracklings. 

Only one person deserved it. Schezar wanted to take down the Confederacy. But he didn't get the chance to. So he'd take take down Mengsk instead. _The Confeds were mine, Mengsk. I hope you know who you're up against now._

~ 

Omega Squadron commander Gregory Reikson slammed his fist onto the desk in front of him. "What happened? Tell me exactly." 

The private in front of him blinked before responding. "Initial reports are saying that Sons of Korhal leader Arcturus Mengsk activated a Zerg-attracting beacon in the middle of the capital. Sir...half of Baelrog Brood landed and completely overran the entire country. They're setting up a new Hive Cluster as we speak." 

Reikson growled. "Why? We're stuck on Dylar IV, when the Confederacy suffers its worst attack yet! Explain to me why we were stationed _here_!" 

"Sir?" The private automatically took a step back. If the Commander needed to let out some steam, then he would do so. 

"The mere mention of our being sent into battle has caused countless rebels to surrender. Yet during the Conferacy's greatest hour of need, we are nowhere!" 

"Sir. With all due respect, we are trained to deal with _human_ resistance. We have no methods of fighting aliens." 

Reikson stood up and grabbed the spare communicator on his desk. "Captain!" 

"Commander?" 

"Signal the fleet, we're moving out." 

"As ordered, sir." 

Reikson was making his way towards the exit of the base when his communicator buzzed again. "Hello?" 

"Sir, this is Helms. More reports are coming in. A convoy of Sons of Korhal ships making their way towards the capital have been decimated by a fleet of Zerg minions, accompanied by standard Terran forces." 

"What? Impossible?" 

"Apparently not, sir. A battlecruiser named the _White Lance_ was more or less commanding the Terran forces. This is a General Gage's battleship. He's stationed in Yhrad." 

"Another rebel, I'm assuming. There wasn't enough time to organize a strike against such a new-formed government. They were planning on attacking the Confederacy as well." 

"One would assume so, sir." 

"Let's see what this Gage fellow has to offer. Perhaps with their help, we can overthrow Mengsk's rule, but then turn against him and his forces. That would deal with two rebel forces, and we'll show to every rebel and potential rebel in this galaxy that as long as the Death's Head Legion stands, the Confederacy survives!"   
  


Well then, the plot indeed does thicken. I guess I went against my word and decided to update sooner than I thought, right? Well then! As a side note, Reikson isn't mine. 

**Next Chapter**: Reikson and Schezar meet, but happens when...? Well no, I can't really say it, because a) If I say it I'll kind of give it away and b) I'm not sure it'll be in the next chapter! 

So please! Review! 


	6. Actions and Reactions

**Actions and Reactions**

Arcturus Mengsk spun his head around when he heard what had happened. "_What_?" 

The advisor in front of him visibly paled. "Sorry sir, we know very little about it ourselves...you see, the convoy was attacked and plundered." 

"Are you saying that a mere _pirate gang_ has dared to humiliate me not even a full day after my becoming emperor?" Mengsk was frustrated. Overseeing the construction of an entire new empire was hard enough without ambushes like the one he had suffered happening. 

"Are you tracking down who is responsible?" Mengsk asked, deciding to see if something indeed could be done. 

"Ah. This is when it gets interesting, sir. I'm sure you'll remember old General Gage at Duran's camp." 

"Mm hmm." 

"His flagship, the _Flyswatter_, was present at the battle. However, judging by positions and the like, the battleship _White Lance_ was leading the attack." 

"Which makes one wonder why he would bother to change where he commanded from. Unless..." Mengsk thought for a few seconds. "Unless he was either injured or killed during the onslaught." 

Mengsk stopped for a moment. "Wait, that couldn't happen--he was nowhere near the battle itself, simply overseeing it from orbit. There might have been treachery." Mengsk's mind flashed back to when he first met Alan Schezar; already, Schezar had had a desire for power and respect--Mengsk could see it in his eyes. That was only if Schezar was the problem. 

After all, a few of the others who went on the trip were as equally treacherous. And in order to control Zerg creatures to attack, one or more of the ghosts on the mission would have had to have agreed to the treachery. 

_There is no other way_, Mengsk thought. _And assuming that is the case, what reasons do they have to attack me?_

Mengsk stopped pondering and turned to the advisor. "Open up communications with Yhrad. We need to see why...whoever is in charge down there has any desire to attack me." 

As the advisor complied with his order, Mengsk sat back and thought. He had his share of allies--militias, rogues, even Alpha Squadron--and hopefully they could get him through the soon-to-come battles alive. But he wasn't feeling entirely confident about it. 

~ 

In deep space, aboard Omega Squadron flagship, the _Grey Garrison_, Gregory Reikson stared out the viewscreen. With a lot of things running through his mind, he wasn't entirely happy when the helmsman called out. 

"Sir, we'll be reaching the planet Yhrad in about half an hour." Reikson jerked up in his chair, obviously not paying attention to anything going on in the living world. 

Most importantly, he was figuring out how he would deal with things in the coming half hour. He had to make a deal, convince this General Gage character, _whoever_ he was, that he and the Death's Head Legion--formally known as Omega Squadron--were willing to work with them. 

But that wasn't the worst thing that was going through his mind. He was thinking about Alpha Squadron's sudden betrayal; for years now, the Legion had served under Alpha Squadron's shadow, and now just to see Duke throw all his alliegances away to work with the Sons of Korhal terrorist leader made it all the more appalling. 

_Yet, there's a silver lining to even this_. Reikson looked out at the viewscreen--an ever growing planet, most likely to be Yhrad, slowly became more and more distinct. _With Alpha Squadron betraying the Confederacy, we can prove that is us who are the most loyal, and hopefully that we also outshine Alpha when it comes to combat as well._

With a grim road ahead of him, Reikson would have to his best to stay one step ahead of everyone involved. 

~ 

Mike Dekyron was lounging around in the control room when he was alerted that a transmission was hailing them. Reaching over to key the communicator he opened up the channel. "Yhrad outpost. Who is this?" 

Dekyron was answered by a rich, surprisingly tough voice. "This is Commander Gregory Reikson of Omega Squadron. I would like to speak to General Gage." 

Two things went through Mike's mind. _Omega Squadron? Here?_ and _a bit late for that_. "General Gage? He's...uh...no longer with us. He was found slumped on his desk with a Hydralisk spine through his chest." _Which was true enough_, he reminded himself. 

"I see...how tragic," Reikson responded, not sounding the least bit sorry. "In that case, may I speak with whoever is in command?" 

"Yeah, hold on." Dekyron opened up another channel. "Schezar, someone wants to talk with you. Claims he's Omega Squadron commander." 

There was some sort of hesitation. "Omega Squadron? What're they doing here?" 

"I dunno," Dekyron said, and he closed the channel. "And frankly, I don't really care." 

Dekyron leant back in his chair, when an interesting signature on the radar got his attention. He recognized it almost instantly. _Protoss!_

~ 

Reikson sat, waiting to speak with this Alan Schezar when the helmsman shouted out. "Sir! Protoss marks coming from approximately 115 degrees!" 

Reikson smiled. _This_ would be the perfect way to prove to the Yhrad outpost that they were willing to help them out. "Helms, charge Yamato gun and set in on standby. Order the _Black Reign_ and the _Karmine_ to do the same." 

The helmsman complied, and as that was done, Reikson opened up communications with the Protoss fleet. "Protoss commander, identify yourself!" 

A typical Protoss face showed up on the moniter. "My name matters not, Terran. Surrender now or prepare to combat the greatest Protoss fleet in this sector!" 

Reikson had already stopped listening--he just wanted to track down where the 'toss commander was transmitting, and thereby identifying their command ship. "_Black Reign_ and _Karmine_, fire your Yamatos at target 2.14. Tell them to slave their targeting system to ours." 

The helmsman relayed the orders and acknowledged their doing so. "Very well. Open fire on my mark. Fire!" 

The three battlecruisers whose Yamatos had been charged simultaneously gathered energy and fired, the red lances of the Yamato shot leaping forward like light intruding the shroud of darkness. The shield on the Carrier that suffered the crushing volley collapsed in a blossom of energy. Then the remaining two shots pierced the hull, sending metal plates careening through the vacuum of space. The Protoss Commander, whose visage was still being shown on the moniter, faded into static. 

The Protoss were quick to retaliate. Interceptors launched from the Carriers, frantically swarming the area. The Terrans deployed Wraiths and Valkyries in response. The Valks' mighty barrage of rockets collapsed the Protoss shields with ease, allowing the Battlecruiser more powerful lasers to melt the hulls of the Carriers. However, with the thick number of Interceptors, many of the Terran ships, while not suffering fatal damage, took more hits than neccesary. Even though the Protoss retreated after taking nearly 60 percent losses, the Terrans lost half a squadron of Wraiths, and the battlecruiser _Bottleneck_ was dead in space. 

Not entirely interested in talking with Schezar anymore, Omega Squadron descended towards the surface of Yhrad. 

* * *

Yet another chapter complete. This leaves a few questions unanswered. Why did the Protoss attack? How is Mengsk going to deal with Schezar and his brood? You might just find out in the **Next Chapter**: Alliance talk occurs, and McGregor speaks his doubts. And more stuff too, even though I haven't really figured out what. You want to see something? Just tell me. 

And as always, reviews are appreciated. 


	7. Consequences

**Consequences**

(A/N: Captain Nalgol isn't mine.) 

Dekyron, who had been sitting in the control watching the battle, had been accompanied by countless others who had been keen in seeing how the fight would play out. Currently, however, the battle had ended and the artillery master was checking damage on the battlecruisers to see how much repair would be needed. 

"Hmm...the _Streamer_, _Ambush_, and _Obliterator_ have minor damage..._Bottleneck_ appears to be dead..." he pulled up a target scan on the _Grey Garrison_, a heavily modified battlecruiser that was also their flagship, then the two battlecruisers flanking it, _Black Reign_ and _Karmine_, only to realize that they weren't battlecruisers at all. 

Taken by surprise, he began to run a diagnositc on the two battleships. While they were both armed with Yamato guns, the similarities seemed to end there. While the bridge of a cruiser was in the front like a wide buffer, the _Karmine_ and _Black Reign_'s bridges were high and in the back. In the front was two sweeping curves, one on either side, that were heavily armed with capital turret batteries--multiple cannons, unlike a battlecruiser's one. There was a small canyon like area between the two curves. In between the capital turrets were smaller turrets, most likely to engage one-man ships and infantry. 

_Whatever they're offering, we'd better accept it_, Dekyron thought to himself. Dekyron continued to check the profiles of the other ships, and found that only one other was different than the cruisers, but it was also different than _Karmine_ and _Reign_. While similar to those two, it was smaller, and had less armaments, but instead, according to quick analysis, had a large amount of components, technical pieces, and a spare generator. _Not even twenty capital turrets would need a spare generator...what does this craft need them for?_ Dekyron checked the identity of it and it was apparently dubbed the _Arsonist_. By this point, the Omega fleet was just descending the atmosphere, only to halt a few kilometers over the base. He keyed an open channel. "Uh, Alan, I think we'd better listen to what they have to say." 

~ 

Reikson and his fleet was float patiently above the base for their answer, but were not idle like many other squadrons would have been. The _Arsonist_'s internal comsat sweeper was giving the entire fleet a very good idea of how the entire outpost was laid out. It was packed tightly together so that a smaller defense would be adequate. To the north was the Zerg colony, and the sweeps revealed a few Terran forces situated within, and peacefully being accepted--or ignored--by the Zerg in the area. 

When finally the outpost hailed the _Grey Garrison_, Reikson had a clear view of the base and 10 miles around it. "Identify yourself," a somewhat harsh voice demanded. 

"This is Lieutenant Commander Gregory Reikson of Omega Squadron. May I ask who I am speaking with?" 

"This is acting-commander Alan Schezar. Where is the commander of your fleet?" 

Even as Schezar asked the questoin, Reikson felt rage flow through him. "We are a small branch of Epsilon Squadron, as we received orders through them. Given the fact they were stationed on Tarsonis, and we haven't heard anything from them since the invasion, we assumed they were decimated in the attack. Likewise, what has happened with the General?" 

"As far as we can tell, the Zerg killed him. What are you here for?" 

"We tracked you down using the _White Lance_," Reikson informed him. 

"I see. I'm assuming you'd like permission to land," Schezar said. 

_No, really_, Reikson thought. "That would be appreciated." 

"We're transmitting coordinates to you know," Schezar told him. "I've heard from the control room that you have some interesting ships up there. Perhaps we can talk about those designs and their purposes." 

Reikson, had at this point, stopped listening, and was signalling the fleet to land at the given site. Reikson shut off the communicator and sat back in the command chair. 

~ 

Not keen on meeting some relatively unknown people--whose reputation for snuffing out rebellion was unprecedented--Schezar was not happy about meeting Reikson in person without his goliath, but McGregor, who was much more keen when it came to politics, decided that meeting aboard his mech would not be the best way to meet potential allies. So instead, Schezar met up with Omega Squadron armed only with his pistol, but had McGregor beside him and two other guards with him. 

Which certainly wouldn't be enough to stop them if they truly wanted him to be dead. But if they did want that, they could have done so a few times already. 

It hardly mattered anyway, when he saw Reikson and a few of the other officers descending the ramps. There were two marines on each side flanking them. 

"Greetings, Commander," Alan said. _I hate all this formal talk, but if I really need to do it then I can._

"You too, Schezar." Reikson wasn't the standard image of the portly commander one thought of when picturing one. Instead, Reikson looked to be about 28 years old and standing at just below six feet. He was smiling gravelly as he approached Alan. "We originally came to Yhrad to negotiate with you, and it seems that along the way we ran into some company. Perhaps you can enlighten us on why those Protoss ships were coming this way?" 

Alan considered telling Reikson that they were pacifying and manipulating the Zerg with ancient forbidden Protoss magic, but decided that there was no real way the Protoss could have even tracked them down. Unless they were drawn by the Khalis crystals that the ghosts were relaying their powers through. Alan decided to go with the half-truth path. 

"We must have something that they want," Schezar said, "unless it was a standard scouting group." 

One of the men standing to Reikson's side spoke up. "A scout force does not comprise of six carriers. You know just as well as we do if they wanted to scout out areas, they would have deployed observers--in vast space, it is impossible to tell where they are." 

"That is enough, Captain Nalgol," Reikson said as he rose a hand. "Seemingly, the captain does have a point. Granted, it was not a full invasion force, it was a group that was prepared to go up against and underprepared force that could not effectively deal with Protoss units." 

"You're suggesting that we cannot deal with Protoss air forces," Alan said." 

"You truly cannot believe that you can deal with a full Protoss invasion. How much further has Mafton's brood nursed itself back to recovery?" 

"Advanced air strains suck as Guardians are beginning to reappear." 

"Sir, if I may," Nalgol requested. 

"Go ahead," Reikson told him. 

"I believe that the Protoss were originally planning on coming from the far side of the planet. Sensor data shows a blind spot about twenty kilometers from here, ranging all the way to the nearest ocean. Without being seen, the Protoss force could have struck against the Zerg brood without enough standing forces present to deal with it." 

"The captain brings up a good point," Reikson agreed. "It may be best to leave something such as an explorer vessel in that area as an early warning system." 

"Well, I guess we'll leave you with the strategy," Schezar said. "I'll supply you with the men and resources." Schezar cast a diminutive glace at the fleet. "And, of course, I'd like to ask you about those battleships you have with you." 

"All in good time," Reikson said. "In the meantime, I believe we should get something to eat." 

With a chuckle from all parties involved, the tension decreased tremendously. "Certainly," McGregor said. 

~ 

Because of the newcomers, the dining hall that night was much more crowded than normal. Fortunately for the base, the Legion had brought with them plenty of packaged foods. The chefs certainly had their work cut out for them, but in the end would make a good first day of being allies. 

Schezar, McGregor, Reikson, and one of Reikson's aides, Major Petheon, had all sat at one of the tables in the middle to specify what would happen next. Schezar was going to let McGregor do most of the talking, as the ghosts political understanding was much greater than his own. What Schezar did understand was war and battle techniques, and he was greatly interested by the mystery battleships that the Legion had brought with them. 

Schezar waited as McGregor discussed the prelimaries, but butted in when Petheon asked them about their technology. 

"We're also interested in those battle designs that you have with you," Schezar said. "Care to share why you have the different ships?" 

Reikson looked pleasantly surprised by the question, and quite obliged to answer. "Well, I'm assuming you've already got a basic idea of what they're capable of. The _Karmine_ and _Black Reign_ are two prototypes of battleship we are dubbing the Karmine-Class Cruiser, or quite easily the Karmine. They're quite effective at dealing with capital ships, but unlike a battlecruiser is equally as useful against one-man ships and other snub-fighters." 

Reikson paused somewhat. "I'm sure you've done similar scans of the _Arsonist_ and are wondering why a ship of that size needs two generators. Quite simply, it doesn't. Captain Nalgol, who you had spoken to before, developed it. You'll notice that while it is well armed, its nowhere near as powerful as one of the Karmines. This is because it is more of a support unit. The generator powers two things, one of which is a portable comsat station. With it we had your entire base revealed to us while we made our descent. 

"Nalgol called it the Extortion Cruiser, or the Extorter shorthand, for a different reason. You see, majority of that generator is dedicated to transmitting a very wide-range and very uniqie frequency. I could get into the logistics of it, but I myself don't fully understand how it works. What it does is it somehow makes a ship's warp drive go haywire and pulls them out of warpspace." 

McGregor's jaw dropped as the endless list of possibilities hit both he and Schezar. With the Extorter, they could simply sit in commonly used space lanes and completely decimate any of Mengk's convoys...or at least plunder it for themselves. 

Schezar noticed McGregor get up and leave suddenly, but had no idea what the reasoning was. Schezar decided to ignore him and continued his discussion with the Legion leaders. 

~ 

McGregor didn't know when he felt it, but he know what he felt. He also knew where it originated from. _Every single_ one of the members of the Death's Head Legion was hiding something deep in the back of their minds, and given by the general emotion that was concealing it, McGregor knew only one thing for sure--once Mengsk was out of the way, Omega Squadron would turn on them. 

And already there was nothing that any of them could do... 

To be continued... 


	8. Forced Revelations

**Forced Revelations**

Captain Nalgol had been brought up, at least in his mind, as any right-minded parent should raise their child. This upbringing gave him a distrust of insurgents of any kind. So the entire situation was making him rather uneasy. 

He turned to his left, where a man marked as a lieutenant stood. Since Nalgol didn't recognize him, he assumed that he was one of Schezar's followers. 

A good source of information as well. 

Nalgol smiled at the man. "Hello. I haven't met you before. Who might you be?" 

The man glared at him from behind his long hair. "Mike Dekyron, artillery commander here." Dekyron raised his head up a little bit. "What is it you want?" 

Nalgol's eyes went wide in the perfect imitation of indignant innocence. "Nothing at all. I was just finding it peculiar that General Gage had died after your ghost troopers had siezed the Cerebrate. What does someone of such high esteem as yourself say about that?" 

"_Don't_ try flattering it me. I don't know how the Zerg work, and I don't know how the ghosts do what they do, and I don't pretend to know either." 

"We're allies now, Mike. Can I call you Mike?" Without giving enough time for the other to respond, he continued. "Seen as how we're allies, we should share how we feel about certain matters. People fought against the Confederacy because they refused to listen to what their allies had to say." 

"You're part of the Confederacy--why the hell should I listen to what you have to say. Stop being subtle. Subtlety just slows everything down. Just ask me, what do you need to know?" 

Now that he was confronted with the question, Nalgol wasn't even sure what exactly what he wanted to ask. "Tell me how this campaign of ours is going to work," he substituted, and he listened to what the other had to say. 

~ 

As dinner died down, McGregor decided to head back to the camp to see if he could extract any information from some Legion members. But before he got the chance, Schezar got in his way. 

"John, why did you just leave like that? You're telling me all these way to get things off on the right foot with them, and then you're abandoning us during the first night." With that, he gave a genuine smile and chuckled a little. It was the first time John had seen him in even a mild good mood. 

"I'm not sure," he said. "I'm getting reservations about this little plan of yours. What if it doesn't work?" 

The two started to walk towards the _White Lance_, dark and vacant in front of the command center. "Don't worry. It will work. I can promise you at least that." 

McGregor blinked. "I've still got my doubts. I don't trust the Legion." 

Schezar laughed. "Of course they're not to be trusted! They're Confederacy material. We all are!" 

Alan became strangely quiet. "I was just thinking about how we differ from the Confederacy. You've heard of neural resocialization, right?" 

John stepped up as the two entered the empty battlecruiser. "Resoc? Yeah. The Confeds used that to brainwash people so they'd become the equivalent of mindless soldiers." 

"Exactly. Scans have revealed that the Legion doesn't have any resoc tanks aboard their battlecruisers. Even General Gage had a few on board his ships." 

"Did he?" John asked. "Now really...why would he do that?" 

"To keep down rebellion. Or maybe--" and with sudden movement, he kneed McGregor in the groin, "--to keep certain people from leaving the Cerebrate unchecked." 

McGregor didn't have any time to ward off the other's attack, and with a punch to the forehead, McGregor was lying unconscious on the floor. Alan began to drag him away towards the resoc tanks. "I can't let you ruin my plans, John. You're a good man and a good warrior. But you're not backing down." 

~ 

Aboard the _Grey Garrison_, Reikson, along with the Legion, Schezar's crew, and the Zerg fleet, waited in deep space. Radio frequencies had revealed to them an often used space route that was the most direct way to get from the old Korhal Headquarters to Tarsonis. 

Reikson reached over and keyed his com. "Nalgol, do you copy?" 

"Nalgol reports," was the answer. "Orders, sir?" 

"It's time. Fire up the haywire generator!" 

"As ordered, sir." As the channel closed, Reikson turned to see the _Arsonist_ reposition itself; as this occured, it shuddered slightly, and a few oscillating lights near the bridge started to flash. There was a tremor throught the _Garrison_ as the uncommon frequencies hit the ship head-on. The onboard gravity adjusted itself accordingly. 

As the haywire generator was activated, a small convoy of freighters, fighters, and dropships winked into existance, all of which were marked with the Korhal emblem. 

"Reikson to all Legion craft--open fire!" 

The Yamato gun of the _Garrison_, fully charged and ready to fire, targeted one of the larger freighters that began to make a run against the Battlecruiser _Transistor_. The frontward gun began to gather energy and, forcing it into a single blast, shot forth and tore apart the freighter. 

Flying silently next to the _Garrison_, the Karmine Cruiser _Black Reign_ brought to bear its massive arsenal against the mass of enemy craft. Its first volley demonstrated effectively its power, as circuits imploded and debris flew. 

There was a buzz, and Reikson keyed open the command channel. "Hello?" 

"Schezar here. Activate the anti-psionic beacons aboard your craft because the Zerg are coming in." 

"Acknowledged," Reikson replied. He pointed to the helmsan to do as Alan had instructed. 

"Sir!" one of the techs nearby said. "According to our frontward scouts, General Duke has sent a large fleet of Battlecruisers and Wraiths to this location. Shall we withdraw?" 

Reikson looked up in the viewscreen to see Korhal's Wraiths being torn apart as the Zerg worked their wonders on them. 

"Negative. We stay and ambush them. Signal the fleet to get in a standard Cruiser trap." Reikson sighed heavily, knowing that his men could carry it out flawlessly--they had had so much time to practice it back on Dylar. 

Helms relayed the orders to Schezar and his fleet, who quickly rearranged his forces to complement Reikson's. 

"We've got about a half hour until the projected entry point," Reikson said, looking over the scout's report. "Let's see how Duke likes the taste of our methods." 

~ 

_Nothing can withstand the force of this mighty fleet_, Captain Henry Wotton thought proudly. _Mengsk might be afraid of the Zerg in space, but Alpha Squadron can show them that there is nothing to fear_. 

Wotton was currently aboard the _Foothold_, a standard Battlecruiser, and a part of Alpha Squadron's mighty fleet. Wotton prided himself in having well-trained men that could respond well to any situation, and knew that he had nothing to fear. 

_Plus it'll be nice to finally decimate that General Gage and his rebellion_, he thought bitterly. _As well as taking out a bunch of Zerg_. 

Early reports of the Korhal fleet had claimed that they were extracted from Warp Space, and that an unknown fighter class was with Schezar and his ragtag fleet, but Wotton believed none of it. Their ships were malfunctioning. It was the only reasonable reason that they would have been pulled out of warp space. 

"This is General Duke," a loud voice over the speakers boomed. "We are entering real-space in thirty seconds." 

"Charge the Yamato cannons!" Wotton shouted to his weapons officers, who began to do so. Wotton sat down in the command chair and folded his hands. _Let's see what they can throw at us_. 

At promptly thirty seconds, the Alpha Squadron fleet was greeted by space and stars, and nearly 30 enemy capital ships. Wotton motioned to the weapons station. "Open fire!" 

That Battlecruiser fired its Yamato cannon at one of the large hulks floating nearby the lead Battlecruiser--targeting indicated it to be the _Karmine_. 

_So there are an unknown capital ship class_, Wotton thought. _No matter. They will be dealt with as well._

The _Foothold_'s Yamato blast converged with numerous others, and slammed into the _Karmine_'s hull, which promptly failed. Even as this happened, and Wotton's crew cheered, a flurry of Yamato cannons were fired back in response. All Wotton knew was that his ship suffered at least one of the blasts. 

"Damage report!" he ordered as the ripple of energy surged through the ship. 

"Portside atmosphere failure, and engines is reporting unit one and two are out." 

"Fix it!" Wotton shouted. He knew that as of now, his ship was crippled. 

"Scanners are indicating Zerg movement!" the helmsman shouted. 

Wotton's eyes went wide with fear as he looked out the viewscreen. A huge mob of creatures with way too many claws, teeth, and other ripping apendages headed towards the ship. 

And they were first on the list. 

The Zerg's attack was quick and merciless. Alien acid burnt through armor plates, resulting in Klaxons blaring and tremors being sent through the cruiser. The last thing Wotton saw was a salvo of capital turret lasers burn through the front viewscreen. 

~ 

As Alpha Squadron entered real-space, Reikson's order to open fire was as quick as it had ever come. Unfortunately, nearly half the enemy fleet had targeted the _Karmine_ with their Yamato guns. Not even the Karmine Cruisers could withstand such an onslaught, so the resulting detonation simply fueled the other's fighting spirits. 

In immediate response, _Black Reign_ had laid down fire that raked across Alpha Squadron's ranks, in flanking shots that always hit a target. Simulataneously, Schezar had ordered a similar Zerg attack, and had fired the _White Lance_'s Yamato cannon, which slammed into an enemy cruiser, one that ultimately met its demise as the _Reign_ fired a direct volley into its frontward viewport. 

Alpha Squadron was quick to send its full wing of Wraiths up against the Zerg flyers, but was rather ineffective. The Wraith's cloaking ability, normally devestating in deep space, was deemed useless as the _Arsonist_ sweeped the area with its on-board Comsat. Raking fire from nearby cruisers, as well as the Zerg's significant onslaught, destroyed the fighters quickly and effectively. 

Nalgol sat aboard the _Arsonist_, thoroughly enjoying the turning events. Alpha Squadron had, as always, hoped that its mere presence would give them victory. Instead, they were being decimated. 

After suffering over 50% losses and only destroying a mere 5% of their opposition, Alpha Squadron began to turn tail. The few remaining Wraiths flew back to their hangars on board the cruisers, and the operational capital ships began to enter warp space. Even if Reikson had ordered him to activate the Extortion generator on his ship, Nalgol would have declined. He knew that it would be better for the story of Alpha Squadron's defeat spread from the vanquished themselves, and pointless slaughter was not the kind of thing that Nalgol revelled in. 

Regardless of what was coming up, he knew that everything would turn out in their favor. 


End file.
